Life is a journey. This is the travel blog of my encounters. You can read back about my cultural experiences in Europe(mostly CZ), my theological blunderings through seminary, and my most recent posts as associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Manhattan, Kansas.

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Friday, February 19, 2016

Ash Wednesday Reflection

“Remember,
that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” Ash Wednesday
Service Liturgy

As I stood
in the parking lot, I was anxious to see who would approach us to
receive Ashes. This year on Ash Wednesday, several of our
Manhattan Ministers came together to provide “Ashes-To-Go” in
prominent places in our community, like the County Court House,
AggieVille, KState Campus and we were at the west Dillon’s grocery
store. I wondered if anyone would be upset that a protestant
female minister was offering what is more traditionally a Catholic
service. Father Patrick from St Paul’s Episcopal Church and
I were both dressed in our robes and stoles, holding our ashes
prepared from last year's palm branches. He brought a short
liturgy, which enabled us to have mini-services with those
receiving ashes. Sometimes the mini-liturgy would be read by three
of us, at other times there were as many as 5 or 7 people gathered
at once. No one tried to kick us off of their property, and no one
heckled or ridiculed us. People of all ages came, telling us a
little bit about where they had come from or where they were
going. Sometimes instead of using the liturgy, I would invite them
to reflect on what the ashes meant for them. “In the Bible, ashes
were used to symbolize lament and repentance, so these ashes can
symbolize your prayers for forgiveness or sorrow for our broken
world. Consider what they will represent for you.” One woman
replied, “Rebirth and new life.” As a Christian minister who is
constantly preaching about God doing a “new thing” among us, I was
awe struck by this new metaphor while placing her ashes. The
mythological figure of a Phoenix represents the new life only
accessible through fire, death and rebirth, and Jesus offers us
more than a metaphor in the flesh. Like the children who smiled
from ear to ear as I placed the ashes on their forehead, this
women saw the beauty in God’s message of redemption. Death will
come for us all, but death does not have the final word. Trials
will come and go, but Christ came so that we might endure and
flourish in our life here on earth AND that we might joyfully accept
the new life to come. We stood as reminders of God’s mercy in that
busy parking lot, and we were reminded of God’s compassion for all
of humanity.